This IR system is eye-safe, but on the downside, a regular (as opposed to laser) IR beam would have a wider beam/visible area, and would therefore be a little easier to intercept. They *do* make eye-safe lasers these days, so it’d be interesting to see if they can sort of combine the best of both worlds at some point.

Of course the more common problem (which would apply to the lasers, too) is that you need clear line of sight. Not just in the radio sense but in the sense that you actually need to be able to *see* your target. This system won’t work in fog, clouds, smoke, what have you. But hey, it’s a step forward.